Stephen s



s. s. 000K.. y LOOP HOLDER MBGHANISM POR KNITTING MAGHINBS. l

. PatentedDeO.. 1,189.1.l

(NQ Model.)

"Willi-,Laim l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN S. COOK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES L. BRANSON, OF SAME PLACE.l

Loop-HOLDER MECHANISM FioR KNITTlNc-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming party of Letters Patent No. 464,313, dated December 1, 1891. Application filed October 17, 188i). Serial No. 327,-344 (No model.)

improvement is'embodied, part of the top of the cam-ring being broken Vaway in order to show one of the pivoted cams therein. Fig. 2 is a section on the line :l: oc, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a partial section on theline @j y, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a reverse plan of the part of the cam-ring wherein 'the holder-actuating cams .are pl-voted.

Fig. 5 shows one of the said cams, the set-nut, and its washer, all detached. Fig. 6 is a sepa-rate view of one of the loopholders or sinkers.

This -invention-relates to an improvement y in the loop-holder-operating cams of circularknitting machines, and is especially, though not exclusively, designed for use in connection with the holders illustrated in Letters Patent No. 445,494, granted January 27, 1891, to Henry Brinton. Said holders consist each of a thin angular metal plate whose vertical member is provided with a forward notched nose or finger, and whose horizontal member is provided with an tip-projecting lug. The latter member is guided in a radially-slotted ring surrounding the needle-cylinder, and the nosel of the upper member is guided in a slot in the upper edge of said cylinder, the notch on the nose at certain stages of the knitting operation being thrown into and out of engagement with the top of the web by means of a suitably-shaped cam which engages with the 11p-projecting lug andinoves with reference to and in concert with the stitch-cams.

In each space between the needles there is a holder whose notched nose normally bears upon the upper round of stitches. The relation of the holder-cam to the stitch-cams is such that justbefore the descent of each needle while completing the stitch the adjacent loop-holders are thrown back to allow the 1stitch Y' to be formed, at the completion of which the holders are caused to assume their normal or engaging position, there remaining `until a round of stitches 'has been made, 55

whereupon these holders are again actuated, each andall the holders being likewise operated in continuous succession. An objection to the use of these and indeed to all other loop-holders7 or sinkers, so-calle'd, is that 6o their operating-cams cannot be adjusted to vary the inward throw of the sinkers Without interference with the outthrowing action of `the cams-that is to say, if the cams be set to increase the inward throw of the holders or sinkers. the'outward throw of the latter will be correspondingly lessened, and the converse. Hence Aif the cam-engagng lugs of the sink ers become worn through continued use and thereupon fail to act positively upon the web 7.o it is necessary to substitute new sinkers for the old ones or to replace the old cams with new ones.V Again, if the inward throw of the sinkers be increased or diminished in order to adapt them for service in loose or tight lstitch Work, respectively, the outward throw of the holders will be detrimentally affected.

The object of the invention is so to construct the cams that they may be adjusted 'as circumstances may requirein order to vary 8o their inthrowing portions lirrespective of their outthrowing portions, as will be hereinlafter described.

Referring to the annexed drawings, Arepy resents the needle cylinder or lcarrier of an ordinary circular-knitting machine; B, the

loop-holders contained within the radiallyslotted guide-ringb, which is fixed to the needle-cylinder slightly below the top of the lat ter by means of screws S; C, the cam-ring rest- 9o ing upon the ring ZJ', so as operatively to engage with the loop-holders; D,the stitch-cam cylinder or carrier, and E the yarn-guide, which is rigidly connected with the cam-cylinder and whose supporting-post P engages with and actuates the cam-'ring C during the rotation of said camcylinder. All these parts, with the exception of the cam-ring C, are identical in construction and operation with the like parts shown and described in roo the said Brinton patent. The cam-ring, in the latter case, is provided on its under side with a concentric groovel or way interrupted e j 464,313 Y l at a certain point by a .fixed offset or camv portion, whose relation to the stitch-cams is such that as the needles finally descend to complete the stitches the adjacent holders will be thrown outward, so as to retract their hooks from the web, and at the completion of said stitches the holders will be successively thrown inward in order that said hooks will engage and hold down the respective stitches. In my device the ring C is provided with the concentric groove c', but has in lieu of the fixed offset or cam portion a pair of separate adjustable cams C', with oppositely-inclined inner edges c2, the inner side of the ring being suitably cut away at to coincide with these inclined edges. The outer edges c3 of the cams are concentric with the pivots y, or substantially so, and extend back beyond the inner edge or path of the groove a distance equal to the required outward throw of the loop-holders. These cams in the present instance are pivoted at'points y on the under side of the ring and are provided toward their olf ends with vertical screw-threaded pins c4, which extend up through slots c'L in the ring C and have screwed on their outer ends set-nuts c6 with interposed washers c7. From this construction it will be seen that by unscrewing the nuts the cams C may be moved on their pivots to any determined point within the range of the slots, and there secured by rescrewing the nutsthat is to say, the edges c2 may be moved toward or from the needle-cylinder and fixed at the point of adjustment. It will be understood, however, that when the cams are each adj usted in this manner the eXtreme outthrowing portion of the edge c3 is unaffectedthat is to say, this portion merely describes a slight arc concentric with the piyot.

The ring b', which is fast secured to the side of the needle-cylinder, as aforesaid, is provided -on its upper side with a regular series of radial grooves or ways h2, which alternate with the series of needle-grooves n in the needle-cylinder. In each of these grooves h2 is contained the horizontal limb h3 of a holder B, the lug on said limb projecting up from the groove into the channel c on the under side of the cam-ring, which, as before stated, rests upon the ring b', being rotatably held in place by means of the lips or angle-pieces m. The vertical limb of the holder extends np past the inner edge of the ring C, and its forward nose b4 is guided in grooves in the top of the needle-cylindensaid nose being provided on its Lipper edge with the notch or hook b5, which engages the yarn under the circumstances hereinbefore mentioned. The outer edge of the cam-ring has formed therewith or secured thereto at a proper distance apart a pair of outprojecting lugs L L', between which extends the yarn-guide post P, which is, as usual, just back of the vertical median line of the stitch-cams. Now it will be apparent that as the cam-cylinder rapidly revolves during the operation ofthe machinefE the post P will bear against the forward lug;` L and rotate in concert therewith the camring, and as the cams therein advance the. outer edges c3 of the leading cam will abut? against and throw out in continuous succes-` sion the series of loop-holdersv-that is, the, hooks of the latter will be withdrawn from the web upon whichthey normally bear and` permit the stitches to be formed, whereupon the inner edge c2 of the rear cam,-i1npinging1 against the edges of the vertical limbs of thel holders, will return the latter to their normal position, where they will be held by the 1 concentric groove c till a succeeding revoluj tion of the cam-ring. holders will in this way be radially reciprocated in regular order during the revolution.

'Ihe outer edge of the flange or ring fr of the groove c is cut away at c in the rear of these cams C to permit the outward throw of the i holders, as seen. The distance between the opposite faces ofthe lugs L L" is such that when the direction of movement of the camcylirider is reversed during the operation of knitting the heel or toe part of a .stocking the post will abut against the other lug L and l thus throw the stitch-cams into proper rela- Each and all of the tive time withy the holder-cams, half of the 1 needles of course having irst been temporarily disengaged from the stitch-cams, as is customary in such Work.

Vhen the edges of the cams C or those of the holders, or both, become so worn as to prevent the proper action of the hooks upon the yarn, the defect' may bereadily overcome by adjusting the cams, as aforementioned.

In tight-stitch knitting it is requisite that i less inward throw be given the holders than in loose-stitch knitting, as otherwise the holders would cut the yarn, and in loose-stitch knitting it is requisite that greater inward throw be given the holders than in tight stitch knitting, as otherwise the holders would fail to j act on the stitches. Therefore it is necessary to adj ust the inward throw of the cams as occasion may require. By my construction above described the inward throw of these cams may be minutely adj usted without affecting the outward throw thereof. If the outward throw of the cams were altered, the holders might not be moved out suficiently far to enable them to clear the needles.

I claiml. The combination, with the needle-bed, the cam-carrier, and its cams, of ay holder or sinker bed, a cam-ring, its cams, and reciprocative sinkers or loop holders provided each with two cam-engaging portions that are adapted to be acted upon by the cams onsaid 2. The combination, with the angular loopholders and their supporting-parts, ofe cam- I devices for fixing said cams in positions of adjustment', and angular loop-holders or sinkring and cams thereon provided with oppositely-inclined inner edges and with projecting outer edges,l these edges being adapted suci 5 cessively to act upon said holders or sinkers, together with devices for effecting adj ustnlent of said cams, substantially as described. l 3. 'The combination, with the lneedle and cani carriers, of a. holder o1` sinker bed, acamring,ca1ns pivoted thereon and provided each f with the inner andouter acting edges e2 c3,

ers adapted to be acted upon by said edges ci e3, respectively, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto af.- xed my signature this 28th day of Augus, A. D, 1889.

Witnesses:

JOHN NOLAN, EDW. W. MAGILL.r

STEPHEN s. oooK.Y

u- A 4. A.. A .W .i v y I v v 

